OU and Jane

This getting used to working full time is really leaving me gubbed! It's been literally over a decade since I've worked for a full day - and I'm embarrassed about that.

Yesterday I worked a six hour day at my laptop and reading text books. I then had a tutorial by my tutor for my module. Wow I was exhausted afterwards.

But it made me think of something. When I first made friends with Jane, we were both research scientists - she was a lot more senior than I. She worked very hard and I remember walking past her office when I was leaving for home, and she was still there. Each night.

Once I'd known her for a couple of years, she had been looking around jobs, hoping for a step up as a lecturer. She ended up landing herself one as an OU tutor. That way she eventually ended up getting a lectureship at Glasgow Uni.

But what it makes me realise now is that she used to work damn hard during the day in her research job. Then at night she would hold and present online tutorials to her Open University group. How on earth did she find the energy to do that?

Actually I can answer that question now I know the person that she was.

She was passionate about her job.

She loved what she did.

She was a fucking grinder.

In face she never stopped working.

She never made it to the age of 60. I can't put into words how much I still miss her.